DAVE Wooles and Duncan Smith are the new Hereford Municipal Golf Club Winter League champions following a comfortable 5 and 4 final victory over Shaun Vivian and Jack Larkin.

Vivian and Larkin had played well to reach the final, but once Wooles and Smith had gone three up early in the match the new champions were able to coast home.

Twenty-one handicapper Dean Samuel returned an impressive nett 66 in the Municipal club's 'Hall of Fame' qualifier to book his place in the regional finals at Pyle & Kenfig GC, Bridgend.

Duncan Smith, playing off 11, claimed runners-up spot, while Steve Horton, 93-23-70, finished third

Seniors captain Eric Williams recorded his second win of the season, carding a nett 42 in the 12-hole March medal. He was one stroke ahead of Ian McLaren with Stephen Holdsworth a further shot away in third position.

Beaten 6-1 at Ludlow the previous week, the Municipal juniors avenged that defeat in style by thrashing the Shropshire club 6-2 on the Racecourse.

Hereford winners were James Marsh, Chris Storr, Shaun Chambers, Rob Pugh, Jack Larkin and Mark Keddie. Captain Kieran Helps halved, while Edward Webb and Tom Gage lost 3 & 2.

The club will hold their annual meeting at Hereford Leisure Centre on Sunday, March 21 at 7 pm.

q Nigel Montague returned an excellent 44 points to top Division 1 (0-14 handicaps) in Ross GC's fifth and final stableford qualifying winter competition for the Barnfield Trophy.

In improved weather and course conditions there was an entry of 124 who were all attempting to secure a place in the final on Saturday, March 20.

Paul Warwick and Adam Gillespie also scored 41 and, as they and Montague had already qualified, the players with the four next best cards went through to the final. They were Stephen Wallbank 41, John Goodwin 40, Andrew Mollett 39, and Andrew Corfield 39.

Bill Knapper also totalled 39 points but he missed out on a last nine countback.

Stephen Gregory and Joe Sutton 44, led the field in Division 2 (15-28 handicaps) and they, together with Peter Underwood and Don Punnett, each 42, go through to the final.

q Graham Slade finished first in Division 1 of Herefordshire GC's medal with a comfortable three stroke cushion.

Division 1: 1 Slade 72-8-64, 2 David Shuttleworth, 76-9-67, 3 Ian McIntosh 78-10-68; Division 2: 1 Stephen Hyde 89-24-65, 2 Mel Lea 80-15-65, 3 NT Rudge 92-27-65.

Mixed medal 0-19: 1 David Hemming and Ann Wheatstone 41 points, 2 Ian and Jean McIntosh 37, 3 Tom and Marion McGoran 36; 20-28: 1 Jeff and Pam Williams 37, 2 John and Bridget Wood 36, 3 Ann and David Evans, Harry and Jo Ellam 35.

Seniors March stableford 0-17: 1 Bill Mundell 42 on back nine from Dan Wright, 3 Brian Welling 41; 18-28: 1 Peter Bingham 46, 2 Norman Haynes 43, 3 David Wright 40.

q New Belmont captain Alan Standring held his drive in, followed by a stableford event which attracted 70 entries.

O-14: 1 Phil Syrme 40 points, 2 Geoff Foster 37, 3 David Lilley 36; 15-28: 1 Don Filer 41, 2 Tony Catchpole 40, 3 Steve Farnell 40.

The newly installed seniors section captain Ron Fell also held his drive in, accompanied by a teams-of-three, all three to count stableford.

Dennis Pritchard, Martin Burton and Gordon Bumfrey were the leading trio with 100 points, while Mike Ingram, Dave Atkinson and Brian Turner 95, secured second place.

Colin Rowan 81 points, was the overall winner of the Winter Stableford Cup.

First leg top positions: 1 Brian Turner 38, 2 Paul Gosling 38; Second leg: 1 Phil Skyrme 40, 2 Ken Shurmer 38.

q Mack Park had a double success in Burghill Valley seniors March medal, claiming the lowest gross score of 85 and first place in Division 1.

Division 1: Park 85-17-68, 2 Dereck Blundell 86-15-71, 3 Bob Faulkner 92-21-71; Division 2: 1 Ken D Williams, 100-27-73, 2 Peter Louis, 98-25-73, 3 Tony Bishop, 100-25-75.

q Athelae Hart and Jo Ware were first and second respectively in Herefordshire GC ladies silver division, while Elizabeth Richardson won the bronze A division with Gertie Hayward second and Wendy Jones third.